


Accidentally in Love

by AniPendragon



Category: RWBY
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Romance, a little bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 23:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6304744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniPendragon/pseuds/AniPendragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somewhere along the line, James Ironwood accidentally fell in love with Qrow Branwen. This couldn’t possibly end well.</p><p>(Until it does.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Accidentally in Love

**Author's Note:**

> The song that spawned this fic was "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows, though it's a loose inspiration.
> 
> Comments are love.

James Ironwood was not a coward by any stretch of the imagination. He was, however, very, very dense. Dense enough that he managed to somehow ignore, or otherwise not notice, that he had fallen in love until months after it had happened.

And it was only the fact that he was not a coward that kept him from fleeing Vale at this realization. Because the person he’d fallen in love with was his friend and colleague: Qrow Branwen.

At first, James thought he could handle it. After all, he and Qrow were close, what harm could a few feelings do to their relationship? He would be fine. Absolutely, one hundred percent fine.

As it turned out, he wasn’t fine. Two weeks after his revelation and James was painfully aware of every single nuance in Qrow that he could find. The way he flipped his hair out of his eyes constantly when he was frustrated. The way he smiled with only one side of his mouth most of the time – the right side, to be precise. The way his smile only went genuine and full for a handful of people. For his nieces, for Taiyang on scroll calls. And for James himself.

And James absolutely tried not to read into that at all.

It didn’t help that James was becoming aware of his own tendencies with Qrow. The way he stood slightly too close or was always looking for a way to lean over Qrow, to touch Qrow. The way he smiled more easily, laughed a little more genuinely, when Qrow was around. The way his thoughts drifted to Qrow, and not only at night. But when he was walking with Penny or working on schematics. Thoughts like “Penny would like Qrow” or “Qrow would have an idea for this bot” came to mind over and over.

It became an ache faster than he’d expected. A longing for closeness he couldn’t have. It was a want to be close to Qrow. To take whatever he was allowed to have. To see Qrow every day and to help him with his problems.

It was… _love._ And while he’d realized that weeks ago, feeling it all slot into place hit just as hard as that first realization.

James Ironwood’s first realization was that he was in love with Qrow Branwen.

His second realization, several weeks later, was that he was, in fact, a coward, despite his earlier thoughts. A coward because he wouldn’t – couldn’t – dare risk his friendship with Qrow to see if he stood a chance with the man.

And so James amended his thoughts about himself: he was a coward, and he was very, very dense. Painful, but true. And then he tried to sweep his feelings under the rug.

Two weeks after _that_ , the festival was over and James was allowed to return to Atlas. That made everything much, much simpler. Without constant contact with Qrow, he thought he could begin to get over these feelings, or, at the very least, learn to ignore them.

So James returned to his life as a headmaster, general, weapons and robotics expert, and occasional teacher. Winter gave reports, Ozpin sent scroll messages and pictures of Beacon students doing silly things, and the Council called to argue with him about budgets, barracks, and whatever else they so obviously couldn’t solve without him.

After one such call, one night, James sighed and stared out from his office. The broken moon looked down on him, shining through the window. His office wasn’t nearly as high as Ozpin’s, but it gave him a decent overview of his school. Qrow would have liked it up here. It was a good perch for a reckless bird.

Another sigh. _Six weeks._ He’d been back at Atlas for six weeks and every other thought was still about Qrow. Qrow would like this, Qrow would have a comment for that, wonder what Qrow would say to that. And so on. It was getting ridiculous, and James didn’t think he was going to get over these feelings any time soon at this rate.

“General?” Winter’s voice came from behind him. He turned his chair to face her.

“Ah, Winter, what can I do for you?” he asked. There was a distant tone to his voice and he saw that it made Winter frown.

Then her frown deepened further, her gaze darting over James’ shoulder. He stood and looked back toward the window, where Qrow was leaning against his balcony.

“How did he even get _up_ here?” asked Winter.

“I have no idea,” murmured James, although he knew _exactly_ how Qrow had gotten up there. He glanced back at Winter. “He probably has news from Ozpin. Can we talk later?”

Winter snapped a salute, eyes still dark. “Of course, sir, nothing urgent to report.”

“Take care, Winter,” said James. “I’ll speak with you tomorrow.”

She nodded and left his office. Once the door closed, James turned and opened the door out onto the balcony.

“Qrow?” asked James. “What are you doing here?”

Qrow stepped into the office and walked passed James, something unreadable and hesitant in his eyes. James closed the window. He turned and faced Qrow, frowning slightly.

“Is everything all right?” asked James. “Is something wrong in Vale?”

Qrow blinked. “What?” His voice was distant, half focused. “No, no, everything’s fine.”

“Then what’s going on?” asked James.

Qrow blinked again. “Uh.” He looked away. “Nothing, James, I just… wanted to see you. I guess.”

That was new. Both the use of his regular name and the comment itself. James couldn’t help but be a bit flattered. And a little hopeful. If Qrow wanted to see him for now reason… But no, friends did that all the time.

“You ever been in love, Jimmy?” asked Qrow, rather out of the blue.

James faltered. _Yes._ “Uh.” _I am._ “Why?” _With you._

“That’s not an answer,” said Qrow. He wouldn’t look at James.

“I like to know context before I answer incriminating questions,” replied James. He folded his arms across himself. It was a defensive gesture and he and Qrow knew that. But James couldn’t help it. He needed to put space between himself and Qrow before he said, or did, something he’d regret for the rest of his life.

Qrow sighed. “Look, just answer the question.”

“Why are you so insistent about this?” asked James, his voice going tight. _Lie_ , he thought, _just lie_. But he couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

“Because I have a theory,” said Qrow. He stabbed a finger at James. Close enough now that James could smell his breath. _No alcohol._

“You’re sober,” said James, a hint of awe in his voice. Things started to slot into place. Qrow wasn’t the most eloquent man at the best of times. But drunk? Qrow at least was crass enough to hide any deeper meaning behind his words.

Qrow growled. “Forget I said anything,” he muttered. And he turned and stalked out of the office.

James fought a flinch as the door slammed behind Qrow. Sighed softly. _Stupid_.

“Should have just lied,” he muttered to himself. He picked up his flask and took a swing from it. He looked at his reflection in the shine of the window. The broken moon stared back at him. “Why couldn’t you just be heartless, James?”

James Ironwood’s first revelation was that he was in love with Qrow Branwen.

His second revelation was that he was a coward, and very, very dense.

His third revelation, which struck him as he stared out at the moon, was that he was _never_ getting over his feelings for Qrow.

Another month passed. James was invited back to Vale to help Ozpin with implementing a new security force in Vale. Apparently the good headmaster had decided that Beacon students and the citizens of Vale needed a bit more protection than what the teachers and a handful of hunters on the police force could provide.

James couldn’t help but feel a bit proud that Ozpin had chosen to come to _him_ with this problem. Had chosen _him_ for this security force. Not more hunters. Not the council. But _him_. Ozpin really did believe in what he was doing and in his army. And James had been fighting a grin ever since he’d boarded the ship to Vale.

He was supposed to spend two weeks in Vale – more than enough time to get his army implemented. And, for the first week, everything went perfectly. The new force was implemented. The robotic army had their personality chips upgraded to make them more like what Vale expected. And Ozpin? Ozpin had been singing James’ praises to everyone who would listen. James couldn’t think of another time he’d been so proud to call his army _his._

To have them implemented outside of Atlas was monumental, and he rode that half-giddy high through his days as he worked on paperwork, statements, and upgrades.

And then Qrow showed up, nine days into his stay, and James’ mood took a hard swing south. He didn’t want to be upset that Qrow was there. He loved sharing his creations with others, and Qrow was one of the few James knew that had ever understood what was doing. Sure, Ozpin and Glynda understood some, but Qrow was a mechanic, a weapons’ expert, and he understood almost everything James did. Maybe not the programming behind it, but the power, the precision, the _perseverance_ it took to make all of this work.

But James was stuck with a tight knot in his chest whenever Qrow entered the room. A sharp flush across his neck whenever Qrow leaned too close. And more than a few inappropriate thoughts about Qrow and the way he was always leaning back against Ozpin’s desk when they were up in the office.

Qrow, for his part, didn’t seem to notice James’ discomfort, and glued himself to James whenever he got the chance. Talked to him, questioned him, and paid incredibly close attention to him. It was starting to ruin James’ time in Vale, and he took to excusing himself from any room that Qrow walked into as soon as possible.

So when there was a knock on his door at two in the morning on his thirteenth day in Vale, James really should have _expected_ who it was, but he didn’t. And that was how Qrow Branwen marched into his room, naked but for a pair of low riding sweatpants, at two am that morning.

“We need to talk,” said Qrow, sharply. He turned around, back now to James’ bed, and folded his arms across his – bare, muscular, somewhat scarred – chest.

“It’s two in the morning,” said James, swinging his gaze away from the pale expanse of Qrow’s skin. He shut the door and put his back to it, facing Qrow. He was painfully aware of his own sleeveless sleep shirt and sweatpants. How it exposed his metal arm, shoulder, and part of his metal collarbone.

Qrow scowled. “You’re avoiding me.”

So he had noticed, thought James, bitterly. _Lie._ “I’ve been busy.”

“Bullshit,” snapped Qrow. There was a hunch to his shoulders that James’ heart pang in his chest. Had he really upset Qrow this badly? “You find an excuse to leave the room every time I walk in it.” His eyes darted to the floor. “What’d I do, Jim? Tell me so I can _fix it_.”

“Fix it?” echoed James. He couldn’t help but latch on to how broken Qrow sounded. “Qrow you didn’t… you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Qrow looked even more hurt, if that was possible. “So, what, you’re just done with me?” he snapped. “I thought we were friends, James.”

“We are,” said James. He held up his hands defensively. “Qrow, this isn’t about you.”

“Bull _shit_ it’s not.” Qrow’s voice was a snarl. Then, with pained eyes. “How long have you known?”

James’ chest went tight. “…What?” There was no way Qrow could know. Was there?

Qrow clenched his hands against his biceps. “Don’t mock me. How long have you known? Was it the night I came into your office, asking you if you’d ever been in love?”

Oh, Qrow _did_ know. “No it was… before that. During the festival,” said James. He refused to look at Qrow.

“Oh,” Qrow’s voice was tiny. “Why didn’t you just _say_ something?” James sighed and looked at Qrow. Qrow was staring at the floor, hunched in on himself.

“I didn’t want to ruin our friendship by saying something,” said James. “I thought… if you didn’t feel the same way…”

Qrow’s head snapped up, lightning quick, and he stared at James with wide eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“What are _you_ talking about?” replied James, staring at Qrow in confusion. The right side of Qrow’s mouth twitched. Not a smile or a grin, but a dawning realization all the same.

“Jim, are you… in love with me?” asked Qrow. There was a touch of awe in his voice that made James frown.

“I… thought that was what we were talking about,” said James, slowly. Had he read this wrong too? Had he ruined their friendship before it was over?

Qrow burst into bright, grinning laughter shocking James. He crossed the room and cupped James’ face in his hands. Dragged him in for an open-mouthed kiss that was half grin. James kissed back, the tightness in his chest vanishing in Qrow’s brightness.

When they pulled back, Qrow was still grinning, and James smiled back, confused.

“What…?” started James.

“I thought you hated me,” said Qrow, he was still grinning. “Because I thought _you_ had figured out that _I’d_ fallen in love with _you_.”

James’ whole world lit up at those words. He broke into a wide grin and dragged Qrow in for another kiss. And this time, he was the one breathless with laughter and grinning from giddiness. Qrow hummed appreciatively against his mouth and wrapped his arms around James’ neck. When they drew back, James bent his head and Qrow drew up onto his toes so they could rest their foreheads together.

“How long?” asked James.

“Couple months,” said Qrow. His breath ghosted James’ lips. “You?”

“Same,” said James. He was still grinning, half disbelieving and half giddy. “We’re incredibly dense.”

Qrow chuckled, “Yeah, we are. But hey, it worked out.”

“It did,” agreed James. He drew Qrow in for another kiss. Qrow played with his hair as they parted. He was smiling, eyes soft.

“What?” asked James.

“Nothing,” said Qrow. “Just happy.”

James kissed his nose. “Me too.”

Then, Qrow gave him a decidedly Qrow-like smirk. James cocked an eyebrow, eyes dancing as he tried to guess what Qrow was going to say.

“Now,” said Qrow. “How about we make up for lost time?” James’ eyes went wide. Really, he should have expected that. But then, he wasn’t exactly _against_ the idea.

“All right,” said James, and he scooped Qrow up, bridal style, and carried him to the bed.

“Hey!” yelped Qrow, tightening his grip around James’ neck.

James laughed and dropped Qrow onto the bed. Climbed over top of him and smiled. With a matching laugh, Qrow dragged him down for another kiss, both of them grinning the entire time. And as they kissed, James’ mind briefly flashed over his thoughts in the last few months.

James Ironwood’s first revelation was that he was in love with Qrow Branwen.

His second was that he was a coward, and very, very dense.

His third was that he was never getting over his feelings for Qrow.

His fourth revelation, which he discovered that night, was that he didn’t _want_ to get over Qrow, because Qrow felt the same way about him, and that made every other revelation worth it.

And with that in mind, he kissed Qrow again, and vowed to enjoy every minute they had together, for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Cheesy ending is cheesy and I don't care.
> 
> Find me on [Tumblr!](anipendragon.tumblr.com)


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